Live production of “Sound of Music” disappoints many

The 1965 film “The Sound of Music” is everyone’s childhood favorite. Many of us remember watching Julie Andrews as Maria teaching the Von Trapp children to sing, and learning to sing right along with them. That’s why the “The Sound of Music Live!,” which aired live on NBC on December 5, 2013, was so heavily criticised.

Everyone’s a critic. Especially when it comes to a classic like “The Sound of Music.” Hopes were high for a flawless production, since a misstep or flat high note was left for the 18.6 million people that tuned in for the three hour show to see and hear.

And during the three hours that the production aired a tsunami of tweets poured in. Every note, dance, and flaw was recounted and highlighted a hundred times. Even the original film’s Von Trapp children responded to the production, but they were much kinder critics than those on Twitter.

Angela Cartwright, who played Brigitta in the original film, was quoted in EW that she felt that some of the acting “didn’t come across as sincere.”

Most of the criticisms were not that off base, even if some were unkind. The production had its moments and was enjoyable to watch, but when held by the standards that a Broadway musical is held to, some of the acting and singing just didn’t mesh.

The most scrutinized casting was Carrie Underwood as Maria, and when it was announced that she was to play the iconic role many fans were outraged. She had large shoes to fill and big expectations, and Underwood didn’t exactly deliver exactly what everyone wanted. Her vocals were wonderful, but her acting didn’t measure up to her musical talent. She just couldn’t compare to Julie Andrew’s Maria.

What many people might not know is that “The Sound of Music Live!” was not actually based on the 1965 film . According to NBC, the live production was actually based on the Broadway musical.

NBC seems to be forming a new holiday tradition, because the network has already committed to airing another live musical production in 2014. According to Entertainment Weekly, the next musical event is “Peter Pan,” which will air on December 4.